Mongolia: Traditional Music

Various Artists

UNESCO has identified two elements of traditional Mongolian music as being “Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” They are the urtyn duu, or long song, and the morin-khuur, or horse violin, and both are featured here.

The morin-khuur is a two-stringed instrument with a carved horse head on the end of the tuning head. It is played like a cello by men for dance and to accompany singers, particularly for the urtyn duu, or long song. The long song is so named for the singing of each lyric syllable for long durations in single musical notes.

In addition to providing examples of urtyn duu and the playing of the morin-khuur, this recording offers examples of other forms of Mongolian traditional music including bongino duu (short songs) and music played on metal and bamboo Jew’s harps, flutes, vieles (violins), lutes, and zithers. Two tracks feature an example of diphonic song or khoomly, sometimes referred to as throat singing.

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Please enjoy a free download of the song “My Darling”

My Darling

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This album is part of the UNESCO Collection of Traditional Music. More than 125 albums are being released by Smithsonian Folkways Recordings to make the series publicly available, including a dozen never-released albums of musical traditions from around the globe.

Track Listing

101	My speckled bay	Darsüren	2:20
102	Two little ducks	Danzan	5:40
103	Horse with light-grey coat	Darsüren	2:58
104	The beautiful Altaï	Möntöö	2:52
105	View over the Kherelen River	Batbayar	2:58
106	The four seasons	Batbayar	2:51
107	Popular dance of western Mongolia	Batbayar	2:23
108	Dance tune of western Mongolia	G. Nomyer	2:11
109	The black stallion Zhonon of the Khalka Mongols	D. Zhantsanchoy	2:22
110	The brown silk dress	Dashdory	2:12
111	Movements of a blessing	Dashdory	1:53
112	Linked movements	Tsembel	0:56
113	Colours side by side	Tsembel	1:03
114	Beckoning movements	Tsembel	1:00
115	Wave-like dance	Tsembel	0:52
116	Quick, short movements	Tsembel	0:57
117	Sunzhidmaa	Tsendbayar, Sosorbaram	2:33
118	Saddle flaps of Saykhiyu leather	Tseyenkhorloo, Sosorbaram	1:27
119	These shimmering blue mountains	P. Dolzhinkhüü, L. Oyunchimeg	1:42
120	My Darling	C. Amartungalag, S. Narantuya, Z. Badambarav	1:54
121	Song of praise to the horse	D. Purevsuren	2:47
122	Dembee (finger game)	Galragchaa, Batmönkh, Bolormaa	4:38
123	Tömör khuur metal jew's harp	G. Dovchinsuren and his four children	1:26
124	Khulsan khuur bamboo jew's harp	G. Dovchinsuren	1:26
125	Limbe transverse flute	Enkhtayvan	2:50
126	Dörvön chikhtey khuur four-stringed viele	L. Baldan	2:24
127	Shanza lute	A. Oyuntsimeg	1:18
128	Yatga oblong table zither	A. Tsolmaa	2:25
129	The khöömiy lesson	Sundui	2:48
130	The 4-year-old light tan horse	Sundui	1:46